Re: Booting a USB hard drive
On Thu, 12 May 2011 12:55:28 -0700, Peter Bonucci wrote:
> On Thursday, May 12, 2011 04:38:18 am Camaleón wrote:
>> I don't like that error :-/
>>
>> ***
>> 25 : Disk read error
>> This error is returned if there is a disk read error when trying to
>> probe or read data from a particular disk.
>> ***
>>
>> But you can try with another menu option: "GNU/Linux → Boot GNU Linux"
>> (or Boot GNU Linux directly).
>
> I installed GRUB2 onto the USB drive.
Then I'm afraid that you can only boot the USB disk by means of SGD2 (v.
1.98xx) ;-(
> SGD 1.98xx does not see the drive at all. The light on the USB drive
> does not even flicker.
>
> When I use SGD 0.97xx to "boot directly", it boots to the laptop drive.
> Using "Easy swap" does not make a difference. ("Easy swap" assigns the
> laptop to hd1 and the USB to hd0. "Boot directly" then boots to hd1.)
>
> I tried removing the laptop hard drive in the hope that it would make it
> easier for SGD to find the drive. Both versions of SGD behaved the same
> as before.
If I were you, I'll proceed as follows:
- Remove the laptop stock hard disk (just to prevent rewriting the MBR of
the wrng device)
- And then try a complete reinstall of GRUB (whatever version you prefer,
you can first give a try to GRUB2 -boot the Debian installation CD and
repair the bootloader- or install GRUB legacy from SDG -v.0.97xx-).
If none of the attemps succeed and you still cannot boot your Debian
installation, consider using Plop¹, another nice multi-system booter that
does not depend on the BIOS settings/capabilities and seems to support
GRUB/GRUB2 bootloaders.
Finally, if all of the above fails, well, consider using the "WD My
Passport Essential" USB disk as a paperweight... errr, I mean, as a
backup storage unit O:-)
¹http://www.plop.at/en/bootmanager.html#features
P.S. It won't neither hurt that you look for any available firmware
upgrade for you USB device or even for the BIOS of your computer. Also,
contacting WD on this matter can make you lose a bit of time but it can't
make any bad :-)
Greetings,
--
Camaleón
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